I'm so into breakfast lately. It's been years since I was excited about breakfast for more than a day or two. A few months ago we switched from drinking BIG mugs of coffee first thing in the morning, to drinking multiple teeny tiny espresso-sized cups of coffee. Since that little change, my morning caffeine intake is less of a JOLT and more of a slow and steady drip into my system. Besides having to fight the overwhelming urge to down my tiny shot-sized coffee in one gulp and violently slam the empty cup on the counter while yelling, "ANOTHER!", it's been a rather pleasant change.
Now I actually have room for breakfast in the morning and I've been on a savoury food kick. Sweet breakfasts just don't sound right to me. We've been eating a whole lotta tofu, in breakfast sandwiches, tofu scrambles, and hashes. Today I'm sharing a delicious tofu scramble breakfast bowl. Lately, I've been leaning towards the comfort food side of things, not the light "January food" side of things. I think this recipe strikes a healthy balance between the two.
We start with a bed of whole wheat couscous. I'm a fan of whole wheat couscous - it's full of fibre and protein, makes a cost-effective substitute for quinoa, and it's quick to prepare. William and I are thankful to have no real reason to avoid gluten and couscous is a mainstay in our diet.
Layer garlicky sautéed kale and mushrooms (white button and Cremini), and scrambled tofu onto your grain of choice. For the scramble, the tofu is pressed, crumbled, and sautéed until golden brown. It's flavoured with a thick sauce of nutritional yeast, turmeric, kala namak, garlic powder, onion powder, and water. The kala namak (black salt) provides a pungent, sulfurous flavour that's reminiscent of the flavour of eggs.
Top this savoury breakfast bowl with your favourite fresh toppings to feel like a proper "healthy breakfast person". I used halved grape tomatoes, sliced green onion (a necessity), pea sprouts and a sprinkle of not-too-sweet granola for crunch (Nature's Path Pumpkin Flax granola). I would've added some chopped avocado but sadly all the ones I had on hand were hard as rock 🙁
For an Instagram-worthy breakfast bowl, cook the tofu, kale and mushrooms separately (as explained in the recipe.) For something fast and easy: brown the tofu slightly, then cook the kale and mushrooms alongside the tofu, and coat all 3 ingredients with the "scramble sauce". Not as pretty, but damn delicious.
PrintScrambled Tofu Breakfast Bowl
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 2 bowls 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Vegan
Description
A hearty breakfast bowl of savoury scrambled tofu, garlicky mushrooms and kale on a bed of whole wheat couscous. Add your favourite toppings for a fresh and nutritious breakfast!
Ingredients
Breakfast Bowl
- 1-2 cups cooked whole wheat couscous (cook with vegetable broth for more flavour)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 2 cups kale, de-stemmed and chopped
- 1 cup quartered Cremini and white button mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (divided)
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Scrambled Tofu
- ½ block extra-firm or firm tofu, pressed & crumbled into bite sized chunks
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 ½ tablespoon water
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp fine grind kala namak salt (black salt - can sub for sea salt)
- ⅛ tsp/pinch of turmeric
Toppings
- ripe avocado, pea sprouts, chopped green onion, granola, halved grape tomatoes
Instructions
- Prepare couscous according to package instructions.
- In a medium-sized pan, heat ½ tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped kale and 1 clove of minced garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the kale is nearly tender. Sprinkle with salt and cook until tender. Set aside.
- In the same pan, heat ½ tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and 1 clove of minced garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are golden brown and tender. Set aside.
Scrambled Tofu
- In a small bowl or ramekin/custard cup, combine nutritional yeast, water, garlic powder, onion powder, kala namak, and turmeric. Stir well.
- In a medium-sized pan, heat ½ tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add crumbled tofu and cook, stirring often, until the tofu is mostly golden-brown.
- Push the tofu to one side of the pan and pour the "scramble sauce" over the tofu. Stir to coat the tofu and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce is absorbed. Set aside.
Assembly
- Divide cooked couscous, kale, mushrooms, and tofu scramble between 2 bowls. Add your favourite toppings (ripe avocado, pea sprouts, green onion, granola, and grape tomatoes) and enjoy!
Notes
For an Instagram-worthy breakfast bowl, cook the tofu, kale and mushrooms separately (as explained in the recipe.) For something fast and easy: brown the tofu slightly, then cook the kale and mushrooms alongside the tofu, and coat all 3 ingredients with the "scramble sauce".
Keywords: vegan breakfast bowl, scrambled tofu
Karlee
Wow! This tasted amazing. I highly recommend for anyone who doesn’t enjoy the taste of tofu, as the seasonings completely mask its characteristic taste. This recipe is a keeper!
★★★★★
Annette
Is the nutrional yeast flakes necessary. I am just starting a plant based diet and not sure how I would use this product. Can I make the recipe with out it.?
Brittany
Hi Annette! The nutritional yeast flakes are a pretty big component of scrambled tofu. I'm sure you could make it without them but the flavour won't be there. If you're just starting a plant-based diet, nutritional yeast is a really popular ingredient that you're going to come across again and again, so I'd pick some up ASAP! It's used in most vegan cheese sauces, vegan parmesan, scrambled tofu (and other "egg-y" recipes). It's also great for sprinkling on top of all sorts of foods, especially pasta and popcorn. Fortified nutritional yeast is also a great source of vitamin B12 and other B vitamins.
Dave
Hey Brittany, where is the page/link for your lentil loaf?
★★★★
Brittany
Here it is Dave: http://www.ilovevegan.com/the-ultimate-vegan-thanksgiving-loaf/
Heather
This was the best scrambled tofu! Next time I make it I will add double the amount. Instead of granola I added nuts (in part because I made this for dinner, not breakfast), and omitted mushrooms because I don't like and don't eat them ever. I added avocado, green onions and grape tomatoes and used spinach instead of kale. Thank you! From Heather in New York City.
★★★★★
Brittany
Thanks for commenting Heather! This is my favourite recipe for scrambled tofu too 😀 I'm so glad you were able to make this bowl your own, I'll try it with nuts instead of granola next time too!